Lardbeast
LE
A couple of weeks ago I was travelling down the M40, when a large cloud of dust and smoke appeared about half a mile in front of me. I pulled over, grabbed the first aid kit from the boot and ran up to the accident site involving an artic truck, a transit van and two car, all badly mangled. Thankfully there were no fatalities or life threatening injuries; I helped a couple of people out of vehicles, and started giving first aid to a girl with a minor head injury (cut above the eye, bleeding freely). I opened my first aid kit ( similar to the type below):
View attachment 513605
It had virtually nothing of any use, a small strip of fabric plaster, some wipes and nothing for anything more than a finger cut or knee graze level of injury The only useful content was a survival blanket, which I wrapped around the casualty, whilst I tried to mop the blood away and stick the plaster on the cut. Fortunately a squaddie arrived with a handful of FFDs one of which I quickly applied, just in time for plod and ambulances to turn up.
With thirty years of soldiering and ten years of civvy first aider training under my belt, I had no excuse for being so unequipped for dealing with a serious casualty event. I'd bought the shonky car first aid kit years before, mentally ticked it off my list of things to do and forgotten about it, which considering I keep a well stocked first aid kit in my workshop, another in my house and another smaller kit in my range bag is unforgivable. For the remainder of my journey I thought about this, and decided I needed to get a decent kit for the car which could deal with serious injuries when I got home. A quick google got me sucking my teeth at the price of decent first aid kits, however, that thirty years of soldiering has left me with a fair amount of relevant buckshee kit mouldering in the loft, so I thought a DIY effort might do the job. I bought a cheap canvas haversack (£8 ), some basic stuff, (plasters, sticking tape, scissors - another £10), a couple of saddo badges (£10), and put together a reasonably suitable first aid kit, without going totally OTT or breaking the bank.
Behold the magnificence:
View attachment 513609
(Mug included for scale)
Contents (in waterproof containers):
5 x First Field Dressings
3x gel burns dressings
1 x Tourniquet
3 x tri bandages
4 x bandages
1 x eye dressing
1 x roll fabric tape
Vaseline (In case I'm feeling lucky)
1 x roll micropore tape
3 x pairs surgical gloves
1 x pack sticking plasters
Surgical wipes (hods of them)
Syringe for eye wash
Lip balm
2 x bottles Hand gel
3 x Survival blankets
Marker pen
Strap cutter
(Edit: Scissors!)
I know I've gone OTT, blame the current Covid japery for leaving me with too much time on my hands. BUT:
Remembering this is a first aid kit not a paramedic's go bag, is there anything else I really should have included?
All suggestions welcome (to do with the kit).
Cheers....
500ml saline drip bag. Good for rinsing burns and wounds.
)
